Window on Pak Press: Pak to de-weaponise Karachi

As bullets licked lives of 11 more persons in Karachi during the past 15 hours the Federal government announced it was considering de-weaponisation of the financial capital of Pakistan.

Geo News in a Sunday morning report said assailants have shot dead another 11 persons in last 15 hours in separate parts of Karachi while according to police calculation, the death toll by target killings in Karachi has risen to 39 people in last 3 days and scores another sustained injuries.

According to police sources, the incidents of fierce clashes and indiscriminate firing remained continuous in Lyari, Garden and many others parts of metropolis on Saturday while in the latest incidents, a total of 11 more people have been gunned down.

Dawn flashed in morning that four more people have been shot dead in various parts of Karachi on Sunday morning, raising the death toll to 31.Earlier, on Saturday, nine people were killed in targeted killings in the city amidst rising tensions between the Pakistan People's Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement as the latter threatened to quit the ruling coalition both at the centre and in Sindh. A total of 31 people have lost their lives in the violence that erupted on Thursday.

Cleansing Karachi of weaponsMeanwhile, leading daily The News quoted Minister for Interior Rehman Malik as saying on Saturday the government was considering to launch a deweaponisation campaign in Karachi in the 'second phase' after controlling the spate of target killings.

Talking to newsmen after attending two meetings on the law and order situation at the Chief Minister House, the minister said if the target killings did not end in the metropolis, the government might contemplate to cancel official licences. He claimed that all political parties agreed that the city should be cleansed of weapons.

Afghans Involved in 'Target Killings He said a strict action would be taken against the criminals irrespective of their political affiliations. He said all necessary powers have been given to Rangers to control the law and order problem in the city and a notification in this regard has been issued. He said foreigners, including Afghans, were involved in target killings as it [target killings] were an organised conspiracy against the government. He said after facing defeat in the NWFP and other provinces the militants have now shifted their focus to Karachi but they would meet the same fate here.

House to House search ordered The Nation on the other hand reported that the federal government in consultation with Sindh government has authorised Rangers to conduct house-to-house search in Karachi and take action against elements involved in violence.

The decision to give new powers to Rangers was taken at a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at CM House. Interior Minister Rehman Malik participated in the meeting on special invitation of the provincial government. The others who attended the meeting were Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, IG Police, DG Rangers, CCPO Karachi, Home Secretary and other officers of law-enforcement agencies. Sources confirmed that MQM was not invited to the meeting held to review the law and order situation in the wake of target-killing incidents.

Sources privy to the meeting unveiled that a high-level committee comprising of officials from police, Rangers and other-law enforcement agencies was also assigned the task to investigate the reasons and identify elements behind the violence.

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